Snow-melter for railways.



w. H. SNOW MELTER FOR RILWAYS,

APPHCATION FILED APR. 3 |917,

DEAN.`

Patent@ 00%. 23,

l Anon/w8 WILLIAM HENRY DEAN, or SIOUX CITY, rowsN snow-Maman ron RaILwAvs.

Spe'ccation'of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 23, 1917.

Application led Aprl'S, 1917. Serial No. 159,463. v

T all whom it may'conccm:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM H. DEAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, have invented a'new and Improved Snow-Melter for Railways, of whioh'the following is a full, clear, and

exact description.

of a locomotive, car or the like, capable of supplying a heated fluid in the form of steam or hot air for example.

Objects of the invention are to provide a snow melter having means to effectively utilize the heat of the steam or other fluid in melting the snow in advance of the locomotive, motor or car, to provide for variously disposing of the resulting water whereby to for the water resulting ing from the basin.

allow the same to run o as the snow melts, or to discharge the water to either side of the track at the top ofthe melter, so that it may result in the freezing of the snow on sides of the track to prevent it from drifting; and

The invention also has for objects to provide a hood on the melterarranged to aid in retaining the heat from the melting fluid and to construct the hood and the main body or back of the melter in a form to insure and provide a cleared cut wideningat the top whereby to insure a proper clearance for the locomotive or cars and whereby to minimize the possibility of snow from the banks or side walls of the cut sliding or drifting to the cleared track.

Other objects of the invention, as well as its advantages, will more clearly appear as the description proceeds. i

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specilication in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the locomotive' with my ,invention in one invent-ion relates to snow melting t means adapted to be employed on the front opened or closed form in side elevation and it will be understood that the illustration simply is given as an example of one embodiment;

' Fig. 2 `is a transverse vertical section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; in this gure the'steam pipes `are indicated in dotted lines while a similar showing of the water pipes is omitted inthe interest of clearness; f

Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improved snow melter, the hood being broken p away, said view showing diagrammatically certain parts of a locomotive.

In carrying out my invention in the form illustrated the improved melter is formed with an inclined back structure 10 adapted to be positioned in front of a locomotive, car or the like so as to incline upwardly and rearwardly. Side flanges 11 are produced on the back 10 and a hood 12 is secured to said flanges by bolts 13 or other suitable means. ln the back 10 an opening la is produced and so located as to be directly in front of the headlight of the locomotive.

At the said opening le a closure 15 is provided having means whereby it may be by the engineer in the cab or by an attendant standing at the pilot of the locomotive. As shown the closure is formed with a lever arm 16 to which a pull cord 17 is attached and extends to the` cab of the locomotive.

In the rear ofthe back 10 I provide a system of pipes for the melting fluid'. In the example' shown an upright pipe 18 is provided which has'fa connection as'at 19 with the locomotive boiler near the top thereof to receive steam therefrom. A multiplicity of nozzles 21 extend through the back 10 to the front thereof, the nozzles being variously disposed over the surface of the said back. Advantageously the nozzles are in transverse series and lead from branch pipes 20 con: nectedl with the pipe 18 for the most part, and in case of the uppermost pipes 20 connecting with the. upright branch pipe 25 on said pipe 18. Controlling valvesare provided in the systemof steam pipes, there being valves 22, 23 in the branch pipe 25 and a valve 211 in pipe 18A between the same and the boiler connection to cut olf the lower series of nozzles while the ,pipes 22, 23 control the nozzles connected with the pipe 25.

A catch basin 26 is provided at the bottom of the back 10 at the front whereby to receive the Water resulting from the melted snow. Lateral outlets??v are formed in the hood l2 to permit Water to iow outward from the catch basin to the sides of the track and saidL outlets are controlled by suitable valves, gate valves 2S being' shown.

Provision is made for pumping the Water from the catch basin and utilizing the same or causing it to be directed to either side of the locomotive above the same. For the purpose a suction pipe :29a leads rearwardly from the basin and connects by a pipe 29 in the rear ot the back l0 With a pump 30 mounted on the pilot or equivalent support. The pump maybe operated in any suitable manner. As Vhere conventionally shown a steam pipe a leads from the valve chest orp the engine. rlhe discharge pipe 3l of the pump may have connections variously disposed, there being a pipe 32 connected With the boiler to utilize the resulting Water as feed Water. ln order that the Water may be directed to the tender B a pipe 3d leads to said tender alone the top of the locomotive and cab, it beinn understood that said pipe in practice will include hose sections it the same are required for convenience. The pipe 3d connects by an upright branch- 31a with the discharge pipe 3l of the pump and is controlled by a valve 35 When the Water is not required for the tender. As when the latter is full, for instance, the Water may be directed to either side of the traclt through nozzles 36 Which are oppositively disposed above the valve 35, the nozzles being controlled by a two-way valve 37. Y

The structure is provided with Wheels 38 which are suitably mounted as in brackets 39 on the catch basin at the forward end and there may be a ramp 40 on the catch basin in front of the said Wheels. In order to prevent clogging of the outlets 27, 29a by snow certain of the nozzles 21 are directed downwardly at their outlet ends, as at 4l, whereby the steam or other hot iiuid issuing` therefrom will be directed toward the catch basin.

lt Will be observed from the Figs. 2 and 3 that the hood l) dares in an upward direction, as does also the back l0, so that the clearing` or cut produced in the snow will flare upwardly to minimize the possibility of the snow from the banks or Walls falling or drifting to the cleared track.

By the described means it Will be seen that not only is the melting` Huid eectively utilized in meltinq` the snow but the resultinnvvater may be variously utilized.

l Wish to state inconclusion that although the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention l do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical de tails herein illust-rated since manifestly the same canfbe considerably varied Without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Havinzg` thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A snow melting` apparatus including al back structure adapted to be disposed in front of a locomotive or car, means to direct a melting' fluid to the iront of said structure at various points over the surface thereof, a catch basin on the said back at the bottom thereof tov receive the Water re# sultinn` from the melted snow, said basin having` an outlet yi-'or the Water, means to discharge the Water from the basin, and a front hood on the said baclr structure.

2. A sneuT melting` apparatus including an inclined back structure adapted to be positioned in front of a locomotive or car,L

a system of pipes behind saidstructure adapted to be connected witha hot fluid,v

supply, a hood on said structure at the front,. a series ot nozzles leaf-.line from, said pipes through said structure 'to the interior ot' the hood, at various points, a catch basin at the bottom of said structure to receive the Water resulting' from the melting; snow, and a means to draw off the Water from the basin to the rear of the back structure. Y

3. A snow melting apparatus adapted. to be positioned on the front of a locomotive or a car, and including a back structure, means to cause melting` of snovv in front of said structure, a catch basin at the bottom of said structure to receive the result from the melting snow, and a iva-ter distributingn system in. the rea-roi' the said structure and connected With said basin toV draw o and distribute the Water. y

d. A snow melting apparatus adapted to be positioned on the front of a locomotive or car and including` a bach structure, means to cause a `melting` of snoyv in( front yof said structure, a catch basin at the bottom of said structure to receive the Water resulting from the melting snoiv5 means connected with .said f basin to draw oit the Water` distributing pipes leading in diiierent directions from said means to variously direct the Water, and valves controlling said pipes to determine the direction of the Wat-er discharge.

5. A snow melting apparatus adapted to be positioned on the front of a locomotive or the like and including a back structure, means to cause a melting of snow in front of said structure7 a catch basin at the bottom of said structure to receive the Water resulting from the melted snow, a pump connected with the said basin to draw water therefrom and valve controlled distributing pipes connected with the pump discharge, said pipes including an upwardly extending pipe. a pipe directed rearwardly from the nrst pipe and adapted to deliver Water to a tender and oppositively disposed lateral pipes above they second pipe to discharge the water to either side of the track when the JLender is filled.

6. In a snow melting apparatus the combination of snow melting means adapted to be positioned in front of a locomotive or the like, means to connect said first means with a locomotive to receive steam therefrom, a catch basin positioned to receive the water resulting from the melted snow, a pump connected with said basin to draw water therefrom, and a pipe connected with the pump discharge and adapted to deliver water to the tender of the locomotive.

7. ln a snow melting apparatus a structure adapted to be positioned in front of a locomotive and including a back, snow melting means associated with said back, means to direct heat to the front of said back, said hack having an opening located to correspond with the position of a locomotive headlight, a closure for said opening7 andA means to control said closure from the rear ot said back.

8. A snow melting apparatus including a' structure adapted to be positioned in front of a locomotive or car, and having an inclined back receding from the lower end toward the top, a multiplicity of nozzles variously disposed at different elevations on said receding back, means to conduct a heating iiuid to said nozzles, and a heat retaining hood over said structure and nozzles.

9. A snow melting apparatus including a structure adapted to be positioned in front of a locomotive or the like and having a back, a catch basin at the lower end of said back and extending forwardly therefrom, nozzles on the back positioned to discharge a heated `fluid at the front thereof, certain of the nozzles being directed downwardly toward the catch basin, and means to conduct a heated fluid to said nozzles.

10. A snow melting apparatus adapted to be positioned in front of a locomotive or the like and having an inclined back, means to direct heat to the front of said inclined back and a hood on said back at the top and sides, the said hood atV the sides being flared upwardly.

VILLIAM HENRY DEAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of atcnta Washington, D. C. 

